WHY THE ‘D’ CLASS
- We were inspired by the children’s programme ‘Blue Peter’ (and its young viewers) which for 50 years (until 2017) funded 28 ‘D’ Class Lifeboats at 7 lifeboat stations: Littlehampton, Beaumaris, St. Agnes, North Berwick, Portaferry, Cleethorpes and Fishguard.
- The ‘D’ Class is involved in more than 60% of all rescues.
- It maybe small but it can sustain 3 hours at sea travelling at 25 knots – crucial when lives are at risk.
- It can reach into ‘the inaccessible’ waters that the ‘All Weather Lifeboats’ can’t.
- As well as shallow inshore waters it can cope with fair to moderate conditions and big surf.
- Its size enables versatile launching methods; by tractor trailer or davit.

In the words of the gallantry awarded helm at Port Isaac, Damien Bolton “…the ‘D’ Class is the workhorse of the RNLI fleet… a pocket rocket!”
Photos of some of the stations supported by Blue Peter, taken during last year’s RNLI-911 Challenge.